Every civilized society works under an able administrative body, chosen by the people to serve them and help in the overall development of both the people as well as the society.  In a nation like India, which runs on the fundamentals of democracy, we have the Lok Sabha, derived from the Hindi word      Lok, which stands for people      and Sabha meaning a meeting. 

Thus, the Lok Sabha is a constitutional body that forms the lower half of the binary parliament, which consists of people who become the face of the  constituencies in order to solve common problems of the people, bring law and order      and maintain harmony.

All You Need To Know About The Lok Sabha

a.) Lok Sabha seats:  The Lok Sabha has the capacity to accommodate upto 543 chosen candidates who become Lok sabha members. Of these, around 524 members represent the twenty-eight states and nineteen members represent the 8 Union Territories. Two candidates are chosen to become the face of the Anglo-Indian community who are selected by the honorable president, but this provision was rightfully amended in the constitution in 2019.

b.) Lok Sabha Members: Lok Sabha members are chosen by the common people through the direct voting process. Many candidates from multiple political parties compete to represent a particular constituency. The winning candidates become the official faces of their constituencies and successfully become Lok sabha members.

c.) Term of Lok Sabha Members: all the successful Lok sabha members function for a definite period of five years starting from their first appointment date.

In cases of national or state emergencies, this term can also be extended for upto a year, not more than that. Moreover, the president has the right and power to terminate or dismiss any Lok sabha member after rightful consultation from cabinet ministers about the duties of Lok sabha members.

d.) Media presence of Lok sabha: All the activities, meetings      and functioning of the Lok sabha Members  can be witnessed by the common man through a television channel- Lok Sabha TV.  In 2021, the Lok Sabha TV unified along with the Rajya Sabha Tv to mark the creation of a new channel- The Sansad TV.

e.) Functions of the Lok sabha:

  • Motion of no confidence: Lok sabha members have the power to pass judgments and make votes against a person in a position of higher authority  ( prime minister and main cabinet of ministers) due to their incapabilities in carrying out their specific duties.

 If there is a majority of votes, the particular person or ruling authority would be forced to resign.

  • Passing money bills- Finance matters and money bills are initially introduced in the Lok sabha. Upon receiving approval from the majority of Lok sabha members, the bills go to the Rajya Sabha.

 Under the name of the president, the annual budget is always handed over to the Lok Sabha by the finance minister of the nation.

  • Bill for constitutional amendment: If the Lok sabha members feel that there is a need for corrections and amendments in the official constitution of India, they can rightfully do so, provided two-thirds of the majority of the total Lok sabha members vote and are present.
  • Impeachment of the president:  If the president is found guilty of violating the rights and duties attributed to him by the constitution      or is held accountable for negligence and misuse of power, Lok sabha members can pass a motion of impeachment if there is a successful two     -third of majority opting for the same outcome.
  • Passing judgements for dismissal of the judiciary: If the Lok sabha members find the supreme court judges guilty of wrongdoings or involvement in illegal activities that go against the constitution, they can pass a motion against the Judiciary for the termination of their positions provided two-thirds of the members agree for a favorable outcome.
  • Lok Sabha Members also hold power to announce wars     and  national emergencies with two thirds of the majority opting for a similar judgment.
  • Under any circumstances, if the Lok Sabha becomes non-functional or is dissolved, the Rajya Sabha becomes the only functioning part of the parliament. This is the only major drawback of the Lok Sabha.

f.) Lok Sabha officers: 

  • Speaker and deputy speaker: these two positions are occupied by people who are Lok sabha members and are elected by voting amongst the Lok sabha members. If the member possesses good knowledge about the constitution, it is considered as a plus point for becoming an able speaker.

Conclusion:

  • The Lok sabha is a functioning body of authority that consists of members chosen by the direct election process of common people. 
  • The chosen people come from a particular constituency and form the Lok Sabha Members of the Lok Sabha.
  • There are 543 lok sabha seats allocated of which 524 are reserved for representatives from the 28 states, and 19 from 8 from the union territories.
  • All the live events and activities conducted by the Lok Sabha are recorded and telecast on the newly made Sansad TV.
  • The lok sabha’s terms are for a period of 5 years and can be extended for maximum one year by acknowledgement by the president.
  • The lok sabha holds some very important functions such as the ability to forcefully dismiss the ruling prime minister, union ministers, judiciary, pronounce wars and national emergencies.